![]() This evening at the Wabanaki Ethnobotany: Food and Medicine course with Dr. Frederick M. Wiseman the topic covered was "Sun Dance Season: An Introduction to Indigenous North American Healing; Botanical Materials and World View." Drawing on his extensive experience with healers and gardeners in Guatemala, Belize, Northern Mexico, the American Southwest, Louisiana and the Northeast, Prof. Fred Wiseman discussed the basics of ethnobotanical Native healing arts; from the doctrine of animism and metaconnection; to syncretic Roman Catholic/Native healing. He also gave insight into ancestral environmental experience, healing through community and various other juicy topics my favorite of the evening being "coyote and trickster medicine." Dr. Wiseman described how the coyote or trickster spirit appears in many cultural traditions around the globe and that the raccoon Azeban appeared as a trickster spirit in Abenaki mythology. (The traditional homeland of the Abenaki is Wobanakik (Place of the Dawn), what is now called northern New England and southern Quebec. ) Azeban, pronounced ah-zuh-bahn, does many foolish and/or mischievous things in Abenaki folktales but is not considered dangerous or malevolent. In fact, Dr. Wiseman described how the trickster spirit is one of the most complex spirits and that it has the power of creator wrapped into its spirit of wise trickery and serendipity. Nothing in life is going to happen exactly the way you want it to happen and the trickster spirit teaches us that that's okay. Many people see the circumstances of their life as either good or bad but Azeban teaches us that it's okay to hurt and that sometimes the cards you are dealt are exactly what you need... Many native traditions held clowns and tricksters as essential to any contact with the sacred and Dr. Wiseman described how many creation stories involve the antics of tricksters. He used the example of a famous creation story involving coyote's gluttonous ways leading to the stars spilling out into the universe. Gluttony can kill but it can also create beauty and the lines between good and bad become blurred when honoring the power of the trickster spirit. One can not pray until they have laughed, because laughter opens and frees us from rigid preconceptions. Many native traditions include profane humor with their creation stories and trickster spirits. We need to have the trickster spirit with us, even in the most sacred ceremonies for fear that we forget that the sacred comes through upset, reversal and surprise. The trickster in most native traditions is essential to creation and to birth. I ended up bringing a beautifully beaded huichol bowl (that I found in my father's possessions after he passed away in November) to class for Dr. Wiseman to look at it. He told me that the ornately decorated gourd bowl is a talisman vessel and that three days before the Day of the Dead in November I can put dried food into the bowl, leave it in front of an empty seat and invite my father to the table. This is customarily how the bowl was used. The gourd has images of corn, sun, rain, and peyote- which symbolizes the union of conciousness and earth. This talisman really resonated with some of the traditions that Dr. Wiseman spoke about in class and I marveled at the synchronicity of it all. The bowl is one of the most cherished possessions that I have from my father's belongings.
A raccoon ran in front of my car on the way home from class and I got to thinking about trickster spirits, my Dad and my life. At the core of my being is a deep love and appreciation for profanity, rule-breaking, and pranks- I'm pretty sure this is something I got from Dad. Throughout my life I have struggled with authority and have often been accused of "poking the bear." For some reason I've been intensely drawn to jobs that have involved destruction and creation, an important aspect of trickster spirit. I worked as a patient advocate at a feminist abortion clinic and as a trail worker tearing up land to make new trails. I've always had a deep knowing that it's OK to destroy when appropriate, when you're clear in your action. Trickster spirit knows that sometimes a tiny fetus must be sacrificed to preserve the life of the mother or that trees must be killed and plants torn out of the ground to make trails to contain human feet to preserve the rest of the National Park. Our society sees things as good or evil but beyond that is a field where Azeban resides and this friendly raccoon isn't shy about leading us there... In the spirit of celebrating this trickster spirit, I thought I'd share a story that I told recently at Extempo's Annual Storytelling Tell-Off Competition in January. After my father passed away I channeled my initial grief into a story that epitomizes my relationship with profanity, magic, my Dad and the trickster. It won first place and the people's choice award and it was one of the most healing experiences of my life. Hope you enjoy it: http://www.extempovt.com/The%20Family%20Jewels.mp3
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AuthorThe adventures, studies, and musings of a student at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism.
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